The powerful S23 Ultra is finally here. Samsung unveiled its latest S23 lineup at its Unpacked event on February 1, 2023. Like every year, we saw three models- Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and the true flagship S23 Ultra. While the Korean tech giant announced several innovative surprises to the entire S23 lineup, the Galaxy S23 Ultra was the star of the night. Soon after the launch, the big boy grabbed all the limelight and became the talk of the town.
Right from the most powerful chipset to the most advanced cameras, there are several reasons why you should get the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That said, there are some reasons why you should skip the S23 Ultra. If you’re confused about whether it makes sense to upgrade to Galaxy S23 Ultra from
S22 Ultra or S21 Ultra, we’ll help ease your buying decision.
In this article, we’ll walk you through 7 remarkable things about the S23 Ultra that will leave you stunned, giving you all the reasons to buy the latest Galaxy S23 Ultra. Also, we’ve summed up 5 reasons why the S23 Ultra might not be that big of an upgrade for you.
So, without any further ado, let’s dig in!
7 Reasons why you should get the S23 Ultra
1. Biggest Camera Improvement
The camera setup is one of the major selling points of any smartphone, and with the latest Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung is all set to push its already high-set bar to a whole new level. The S23 Ultra is Samsung’s first device that sports an eye-popping 200MP primary shooter that takes smartphone photography to greater heights. The massive 200MP primary sensor comes with Laser AF, PDAF, and improved Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) features.
The Quad rear camera setup also houses a 12MP ultra-wide, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a second 10MP telephoto with a 10x optical zoom. The S23 Ultra also claims to deliver better results with the zoom effects. We’ve tested the 3x optical zoom on the
previous S22 Ultra but thanks to the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, the S23 Ultra uses powerful AI to step up the quality of the zoomed-in shots. You might not see much difference in objects like buildings, but the new telephoto lens on S23 Ultra produces noticeably better results on people and other real-life objects.
Moving on, S23 Ultra also pushes nightography to touch new heights. The Galaxy’s most advanced camera sensor is paired with the fastest processor to accommodate low light & reduce noise. As a result, the camera fine-tunes the capture by toning down the flares. In simpler words, the Galaxy S23 Ultra performs amazingly in low lights. Also, Samsung worked with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & more to integrate the updated Night mode and zoom capabilities. Therefore, you get to experience stellar camera improvements across all major third-party camera apps as well.
So, right from the soothing sunsets and late night outs to birthday surprises and your favorite artist’s concert, you can get hold of every epic moment with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Also, the Astrophoto and AstroHyperlapse features let you capture the night sky. It’s a fantastic addition for users who have the zeal to capture and know more about space and stars.
That’s not all. Samsung has become a lot more serious when it comes to video shooting capabilities. As compared to 8K@24fps on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the latest Galaxy flagship lets you capture 8K@30fps videos. Thanks to the light-gathering capabilities & faster focusing of the new sensor and the real-time noise reduction of the intelligent chip, S23 Ultra lets you shoot clean & crisp footage. Moreover, the new OIS on S23 Ultra has 2x the range of motion & the ability to stabilize more jerks than the previous smartphone models. This will help you dodge shaky footage and say hello to smooth & steady videos. Frankly speaking, this is a real jump in the video-shooting capabilities of Galaxy smartphones. So, if you’re a content creator, you don’t have to carry a Galaxy smartphone for work and an
In short, powerful imaging capabilities and the jaw-dropping 200MP primary sensor is one of the top reasons why you should get the Galaxy S23 Ultra in 2023.
2. Flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
Performance is another major aspect that defines the worth of any smartphone. Talking about the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and most advanced processor, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 which lets you unleash the true power of the upgraded hardware & software. Interestingly, this latest chipset has been customized especially for Samsung to deliver beast-like performance. Therefore, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset used on the latest Galaxy S-Series will be different from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 used on other devices.
Samsung’s variant of the processor has been overclocked for Galaxy S23 Ultra. It consists of 3 power efficient A510 cores operating at up to 2.0GHz, two mid-A715 cores operating at 2.8GHz, two A710 cores at 2.8GHz, and one high-power X3 core operating at up to 3.6GHz. The prime Kryo CPU core has been overclocked to 3.336GHz while the Adreno GPU ramps up to 719MHz from 680MHz. In short, this latest & customized chipset will make the phone faster and more powerful.
Even better, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is designed to meet the demanding needs of gamers. If you’re a mobile gamer, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is your dream device. Even better, the Adaptive Vision Booster offers a captivating gaming experience like no other. It automatically adjusts the display so it’s easy to see, even in bright outdoor conditions. It’s just perfect for users who love to game on the go.
Not to forget, the Galaxy s23 Ultra ships with Android 13 and One UI 5.1 for smooth software and user experience right out of the box.
We already know that many gamers reported overheating problems on Galaxy S22 Ultra. It seems Samsung took serious note of it. Therefore, to avoid such issues on the new flagship, Samsung has used a 2.7x larger cooling system (as compared to S22 Ultra) with a
Vapor Chamber so the phone can handle marathon or quick gaming sessions without any breaks.
All in all, the power-packed performance of the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is another reason why you should buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
3. Epic Display with 1,750 nits brightness
One of the standout features of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is its epic 6.8-inch AMOLED 2x display. With a QuadHD+ resolution and 1,750 nits of peak brightness, the 2023 S23 Ultra has one of the largest and most stunning displays on any smartphone available today. Additionally, reports are indicating that Samsung has precisely fine-tuned color accuracy to a great level. Now, this should come especially come in handy during low-light usage. Moreover, the variable refresh rate of between 1Hz to 120Hz and Adaptive Vision Booster keeps animations smoother. Also, with the LTPO technology, the S23 Ultra panel is more power-efficient which may compensate for that higher brightness. In short, the Galaxy S23 Ultra strikes a perfect balance between powerful hardware and an epic display to deliver the best performance in gaming, productivity, and entertainment.
4. Tough Design
One of the best S23 Ultra features that differentiate it from other smartphones available today is its super-tough design and better building materials. The phone comes with an Armor Aluminum Frame which is claimed to withstand tough drops and scratches. It’s a superb feature for clumsy smartphone users or someone who hates applying a screen guard. Additionally, as compared to the Gorilla Glass Victus+ we saw on the
S22 Ultra, the front and back of the Galaxy S23 Ultra are backed by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Now, that’s an absolute upgrade in terms of the overall build. Also, the S23 Ultra comes with IP68 certification so it can be submerged in water up to 1.5m for 30 minutes. Therefore, you can comfortably shoot underwater videos during those pool parties, swimming sessions of your little ones, and more.
5. Revamped front camera
The Galaxy S23 Ultra not only brings significant upgrades to the rear camera, but the single-lens selfie camera has also gotten better. To justify its Ultra branding, Samsung has always used a whopping 40MP selfie camera on its S-Series devices. First debuted with the Galaxy S20 Ultra in 2020, we’ve seen the same 40MP sensor for selfies. With the Galaxy S23 series, Samsung has finally ditched the 40MP sensor and opted for a low-res 12MP sensor. It seems Samsung has hit its megapixel quota and had to borrow some from the other sensors. Jokes apart, Samsung has done this purposely. Now, is this a downgrade or upgrade? Let’s understand this.
The 40MP camera sensor on Galaxy S20, S21, and S22 series uses pixel binning to output 10MP selfies that could capture more details as compared to the regular 10MP sensors. Talking about the size of the camera sensor, S22 Ultra packed a 1/2.82″ wide sensor at f/2.2 aperture, 0.7µm pixels, and 80-degree FoV. Samsung bins the 40MP images to photos that come down to 10MP. Although it worked fine during the daylight, the sensor struggled in low light conditions. As a result, you got images with a lot of noise and a lack of detail.
Fortunately, the Korean tech giant finally fixed this shortcoming in the Galaxy S23 series. The updated 12MP selfie snapper can click better pictures during low-light conditions and also feature a wider FoV (Field of View) so you can fit more people into the shots. Also, the early impressions suggest that the S23 Ultra captures better selfies with greater details and preserved skin tones. So, it definitely seems to be an upgrade and gives you another reason to buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
6. More base storage
It’s impressive to know that Samsung S23 Ultra offers more storage in its base model. All the other Galaxy S-Series smartphones, including the previous S22 Ultra, comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage as a baseline option. Now, the base model of the newest S23 Ultra has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s good to see Samsung giving more room for those 200MP files, heavy games, and other stuff that requires ample space. This doubled-up storage gives you all the freedom to save a lot of music, movies, videos, and apps on your smartphone. Also, with more RAM onboard, your apps and games can run fluidly without any lag.
7. Seamless compatibility with Windows laptops & Galaxy products
The newly-launched S23 Ultra offers seamless productivity with other Galaxy devices. Thanks to the latest Android 13 and One UI 5.1, the S23 Ultra can handle, work, leisure, and productivity with utmost ease. You can seamlessly switch and work between your Galaxy smartphone,
Galaxy Book, Galaxy Tab, and other Galaxy devices. It brings more convenience and helps increase productivity. You can start with your Galaxy S23 Ultra and then move as your ideas grow. With seamless compatibility across Galaxy devices, you can stick to a single mouse, keyboard, or touchpad to move text & images to your PC and then move back to your smartphone.
Moving on, the Galaxy S21 Ultra was the first device in the S-Series family that supported S-Pen. We saw the same support with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. In fact, it also had an in-built S Pen slot to stow your stylus. Following the same footsteps, the Galaxy S23 Ultra also has an embedded S Pen slot so you don’t have to buy an S-Pen case for your Galaxy smartphone, the stylus will always be within easy reach. You can take the S Pen out of the device and open apps, take notes, sign
PDFs, and a lot more without worrying about losing it. Also, the S23 Ultra takes the story to a whole new level with its support for better stylus technology with lower latency.
Also Read: Best cases for the Galaxy S23 Ultra to buy in 2023
5 Reasons why you shouldn’t get the S23 Ultra
1. The Galaxy S23 Ultra gets more expensive this year
Yes, Samsung has increased the starting price point of the Galaxy S23 Ultra in many countries and regions. This may be due to inflation & increased cost of manufacturing. It’s worth mentioning that the Korean tech giant launched Galaxy S23 Ultra at $1,199, the same price as the previous year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra in the US. Well, we all know that the US is Samsung’s primary market and the giant hasn’t increased the prices so the buyers don’t think it is over-priced than Apple’s current flagship,
iPhone 14 Pro Max which starts at $1,099. After all, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a direct competitor to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and Samsung has kept the price points intact so it stays gracefully in the league. Last year, we dropped an epic comparison between the iPhone 13 Pro Max & S22 Ultra. Make sure to stay tuned for more.
Sadly, Samsung hasn’t kept the same starting price points across the globe. Living outside the US means you’ll have to pay more for the same product. For instance, as compared to Galaxy S22 Ultra, the price of the latest S23 Ultra is increased by £100 in the UK and Rs 15,000 in India. Additionally, in some regions, you won’t even get pre-order gifts like Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Buds which makes the pre-order phase not so appealing.
Moving on, we can’t deny the fact that the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a base storage of 256GB rather than 128GB in its predecessor. Well, this is definitely a step up and it also means when you’re paying more, you’re also getting more storage for those heavy 200MP eye-popping shots. Having said that, we still can’t ignore the higher starting price point of the S23 Ultra in some regions. At the same time, it feels sad to not have the option to go for a cheaper model.
2. Similar design to the Galaxy S22 Ultra
Although the Galaxy S23 Ultra brings some refreshed elements like a revamped rear camera module and nice flatter edges, it looks very identical to the S22 Ultra. Well, it is both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because the Galaxy S22 Ultra indeed has a gorgeous design. And, it is bad we didn’t get to see anything out of the world. I’m not exaggerating, when you put the S23 Ultra & S22 Ultra side by side in the same color, it’s hard to tell the difference. Now, it reminds me of the boring colors that Samsung introduced with its S23 series. You’ll get to choose from Green, Lavender, Cream, and Phantom Black finishes across all the models.
Thankfully, you can find some new color options like Red, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Lime which heal the injury a little bit. It’s worth knowing that these unique colors are exclusively available at Samsung’s online store.
Moving on, Samsung has kept the same design language in terms of the rear camera setup (you’ll find pronounced rings around the sensors) across its entire S23 lineup. That said, the S23 and S23 plus have flat backs and easier-to-hold edges While it’s good to see the standard S23 & the bigger S23 Plus finally getting some attention, it feels sad not having a solid differentiating style & brag factor in the most expensive flagship. If you’re someone who upgrades their smartphone very often, you’ll hardly find any excitement on the design front. For example, if you already own an S22 Ultra and you care about overall aesthetics and related stuff, it won’t be a great idea to upgrade to the S23 Ultra.
3. No upgrade in battery size or charging speeds
Talking about the battery and charging speed, Samsung hasn’t come up with any major changes this year. The newest Galaxy S23 Ultra features the same 5000mAh battery and 45W Power Deliver 3.0 wired charging speed as we’ve seen on the S22 Ultra. Frankly speaking, it’s kinda injustice especially when we’re talking about an ultra-premium flagship like Galaxy S23 Ultra. We were waiting for Samsung to break the barriers and offer something absolutely remarkable at this price.
Well, the power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and better OS optimization should work together to deliver a nice battery life & better endurance. However, we can’t be so sure of this at the moment. We’ll update you once we get the battery test results for S23 Ultra.
4. That Big & Boxy design
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a big smartphone. The previous year’s S22 Ultra was known for its huge design and the latest S23 Ultra is no different. While the flatter edges and not-so-curvy design offer a nice grip, Galaxy S23 Ultra still features a big & boxy build that might not impress everyone. With such a huge design, it becomes quite difficult to use the S23 Ultra as your daily driver. Not to forget, many people like to
pair a case and screen protector, which will add more bulk & thickness to an already hefty smartphone. If you have smaller hands, we would recommend going for the Galaxy S23 or the S23 Plus.
See, it’s not only about the size, the Galaxy S23 & S23 Plus bring an array of niceties that puts them among the best Wi-Fi 6E smartphones you can grab today. FYI, Galaxy S23 & S23 Plus feature the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, Android 13 experience, fast LPDDR5 RAM, a 12MP selfie camera, 12MP ultra-wide rear sensor, 3x optical zoom, and 8K@30fps video-shooting capabilities like the maxed-out S23 Ultra. So, if you need a power-packed, feature-rich, and comfortable-to-hold
Android smartphone, Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus are fantastic options.
5. Sadly, S23 Ultra won’t retain value as well as iPhone 14 Pro Max
One of the hottest topics in the debate of Galaxy smartphones vs iPhones is their retained value. While Samsung is known to be the unruled king of innovation, it’s hard to deny the fact that Galaxy smartphones do not retain their value as well as iPhones do. Even worse, this rule applies to the mid-range as well as flagship Samsung smartphones. They lose around one-third of their market value within months of the purchase. On the flip side, iPhones retain their market value really well. So, if you often resell your old smartphone after a few years, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra might not pay you back very well.
On the flip side, if you plan to use your flagship for a long time, you’ll get all the major software updates until Android 17 which might make its debut in late 2026 or early 2027. That said, it is still one year less than what Apple promises on its 2022 flagship,
iPhone 14 Pro Max. In short, iPhones offer better resell value overtime.
Also Read: Best Chargers for Galaxy S23 Ultra
Conclusion: Should you buy the S23 Ultra?
Coming to the most-awaited question- is it worth getting the Galaxy S23 Ultra?
See, if you’ve been holding on to a three or four-year-old device like the Galaxy S20 or the Galaxy S10 series, it’s the right time to ditch that old-tech boy and buy the S23 Ultra. In such a case, you’ll surely see an array of worthy changes & improvements. Right from the advanced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and the drool-worthy 200MP camera system to the stunning display and ultra-tough design, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will feel an upgrade in every sense. The S23 Ultra might feature a similar design to its predecessor but it will still feel fresh if you upgrade from a three or four years old device. Moreover, if you live in the US you don’t have to spend even a penny extra for that upgraded storage. Even better, you can get some free goodies like the Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Buds with your brand-new smartphone.
On the flip side, if you already own the Galaxy S22 Ultra, getting the S23 Ultra won’t be that much of an upgrade. Sure the newest Samsung offering boasts the best-in-class chipset and a stunning rear camera but the Galaxy S23 Ultra feels more like a refinement than a revolution. So, if you own the S22 Ultra, you should probably skip the S23 Ultra.
Are you planning to get the Galaxy S23 Ultra? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.
